Madame X (1966)

Madame X (1966)

Another Douglas Sirk like "soaper" (though this one is directed by David Lowell Rich with a screenplay by Jean Holloway that was based on the play by Alexandre Bisson) this film (like Imitation of Life (1959)) also stars Lana Turner in a role made famous in an earlier picture by a different actress (Gladys George among other versions). Turner plays a girl from the other side of the tracks that marries a rising diplomat played by John Forsythe much to the chagrin of his controlling mother played by Constance Bennett (her final film). Bored with the fact that her husband is always gone seemingly more married to his job than to her Turner has an affair with Ricardo Montalban. However when her husband is promoted and returns with promises of a better home life for her (with him) and their now 4 year old son she breaks her relationship with Montalban accidentally killing him in the overused falling down the stairs routine. This gives Bennett just what she needs to get rid of Turner who not wanting a scandal to ruin things for her would-be governor husband and young son agrees to disappear forever from their lives. Bennett provides for her financially as she travels and slowly kills herself (with a poison liquer illegal in the United States called absinthe) due to her depression though she does have one brief moment of happiness with a pianist (played by John Van Dreelan) while in Europe. Virginia Grey is also in this film (though I can’t for the life of me remember what role she played).

*** SPOILERS ***

Many years later an opportunist (well played by Burgess Meredith) discovers that the drunken wreck (Turner) he finds in the same rundown dive as he in Mexico is really a goldmine for him! He intends to blackmail the now governor Forsythe until after they return to the States she kills him. In a daze for quite a while afterwards she finally signs a confession with only an X. Keir Dullea plays the public defender assigned to her case who also happens to be her son though he isn’t aware of it. She keeps this fact from him though Forsythe and Bennett come to realize it during the trial. Carl Benton Reid plays the judge Warren Stevens the prosecutor. Frank Maxwell plays the doctor assigned to treat the dying defendant. The verdict is inconsequential.

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